Graduate Intern in Special Collections Processing & Cataloging

The Getty Graduate Internship Program

Graduate Internships are offered in the four programs of the J. Paul Getty Trust—the Getty Museum, the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Research Institute, and the Getty Foundation—and in Getty Publications and Getty Digital. Placements are typically available in areas such as curatorial, education, conservation, research, publications, web and new media, public programs, digital projects, and grantmaking. Internships are located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. All positions are full-time for twelve months from September 8, 2025, through August 28, 2026.

Internship in Special Collections Processing & Cataloging

The Graduate Intern in Special Collections Processing & Cataloging will gain hands-on experience with Getty’s unique research collections, which include the archives of artists, architects, dealers, and art historians; sketches and drawings; prints from the 16th to the 21st century; and rare photographs. The broad range of subject areas includes, but is not limited to: art collectors and collecting, 20th-century architecture, video and performance art, Latin American art, and African American art. The primary responsibility of the Graduate Intern will be to process an archive related to modern and contemporary art containing a variety of formats. Tasks will include writing a finding aid in ArchivesSpace, creating records in ALMA and in OCLC Connexion, and potentially engaging in authority work and born-digital description. The intern will gain experience in the proper handling of archives, archival arrangement and description, and cataloging principles. The intern may assist with other department processing projects and data enhancement and cleanup projects.

Eligibility

Internships are open to students of all nationalities. Individuals from groups underrepresented across the fields of art history, conservation, and museums are encouraged to apply.

Applicants must be:

Students currently enrolled in a graduate program (Master of Arts (M.A.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), graduate conservation certificate, or their equivalents for international applicants) in a field relevant to the internship(s) for which they are applying.

or

Individuals who have completed a relevant graduate degree (Master of Arts (M.A.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), graduate conservation certificate, or their equivalents for international applicants) on or after January 1, 2022, with postgraduate activities in their field, paid or unpaid.

Terms

Internships are located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles or the Getty Villa in Malibu. All positions are full-time for 12 months from September 8, 2025, through August 28, 2026.

The grant amount is $47,500 for twelve months, plus $1,500 towards relocation expenses. Interns receive seven days of paid vacation and all holidays observed by Getty. Housing is not provided. Support for research travel for up to $2,500 is provided for each participant. Graduate Interns are eligible to enroll in the Getty's health care plan. Please note that grant funds may be subject to federal and state taxes and deductions.

How to Apply

Applicants are required to submit a complete online Graduate Internship application form by 5:00p.m. Pacific Time on November 4, 2024. Materials received after the deadline will result in an incomplete application. We cannot accept applications hand-delivered to the Getty Center or those sent by e-mail or fax.

For complete details and to apply, please visit: https://www.getty.edu/projects/graduate-internships/